Put Up Or Shut Up
05.27.2025
The House Speaker has declared that the end of the session is “imminent”. This means that now things can move through the legislature with virtually no notice to the public. So, if you are trying to keep track of bills it will now be far harder and acting on them will become almost impossible.
Expect bad things to start happening very quickly. Currently the first of the attacks on your rights is scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor on Thursday. That would be SB 243. This bill greatly expands the places you will be deemed a criminal if you are in possession of a firearm that you HAVE A CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSE FOR!
CHL holders are the most law abiding people in the state and they are being punished because Democrats just don’t like them. This is an insane way to make law. There is exactly zero reason for this attack. It’s just one more effort to eliminate what should be a right. The bill also bans poorly defined “Rapid Fire Activators.” This includes devices that have always been unlawful under federal law but also many devices that are perfectly legal to transfer and own.
If this bill becomes law thousands of Oregonians who acquired these devices LEGALLY will become felons, something the promoter of the bill, Anthony Broadman made clear he was perfectly fine with.
Not that it matters, but there is no “grandfather” clause and no legal way to dispose of these devices. This in spite of the idiotic testimony of Floyd Prozanski who not only claimed that a person could transfer them but actually suggested that if you owned one you could just keep it in your safe in violation of the law. Doing either will make you a felon.
While other really bad anti-rights bills are still in the mix and can now move with lighting speed, 243 is on the schedule.
Republican Senate Leader Dan Bonham has issued a “minority report” which is substitute legislation. His bill has exactly zero chance of going anywhere. It’s a symbolic gesture that means nothing.
Here are the facts. When this bill is voted on in the Senate (and the date can change due to scheduling issues) if the Republicans are on the floor, they will have passed the bill. It is that simple. They cannot stop it. They cannot amend it. They cannot move their “minority report.” If they show up they will provide the Democrats the quorum they need to pass this latest outrage. And rest assured, there are others in the wings.
The legislature provides this link to determine who your legislators are if you do not know. If that does not work for you call the legislature to find out who represents you in Salem. 1-800-332-2313.
If you live in a district that has a Republican Senator, let them know that you understand if they are on the floor for the vote, they voted against you. Period. There are no excuses. The Republicans have been creating a barrage of emails, press releases, and Youtube videos reminding us of the damage the Democrats are doing to this state. But they keep handing them everything on a silver platter.
Some are going even further. House Rep Vikki Iverson, not content with her previous sell out of gun owners, has now crawled into the political sack with Senator Broadman, the very guy who is happy to turn gun owners into criminals overnight. And if that’s not enough Republicans are working to screw over Oregonians on other issues.
According to the Oregonian:
“Five sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the Republicans at the table include Reps. Kevin Mannix of Salem and Jeff Helfrich of Hood River and Sens. Bruce Starr of Dundee and Suzanne Weber of Tillamook.”
Your state is turning into a garbage can. Your rights are being eliminated, your property is under siege and every day the legislature finds new ways to put you in prison.
This has got to stop. No more press releases and lame videos. It’s time for Republicans to step up.